GREENFIELD — After 25 minutes on Thursday, it appeared the Greenfield and Pioneer boys soccer teams were headed for a high-scoring affair. 

The Green Wave popped in a goal 14 minutes into the contest and the Panthers were able to answer nine minutes later to knot the score at one. 

While both teams produced chances the rest of the way, neither squad was able to put one in the back of the net as the Schmid League contest finished in a 1-1 draw. 

“It was a good game,” Pioneer coach Michael Italia said. “First game is always tough. No matter what you do in the preseason, the true test is when you’re on the field and things come together. We just need more time to connect the dots and we’ll be successful. Give Greenfield a lot of credit defensively. They cut out a lot of our passes, they blocked a lot of our shots and their goalkeeper did a great job. We had a lot of shots and tomorrow, we’ll be working on keeping the ball down and on goal.” 

It was Clivens Carter Michel who helped spark the Green Wave goal in the 14th minute. With the Panthers putting pressure on the Greenfield defense, the Green Wave cleared the ball and worked it up to Carter Michel on the counter attack. The sophomore drove down the middle through the Pioneer defense and dished it to Caleb Thomas, streaking down on the left wing. 

Thomas fired a shot that deflected off the right post and into the goal, giving the Wave the early lead.

Kurt Redeker was the catalyst for Pioneer’s answer. The senior lofted a pass from outside the box into the center, where Alex McClelland was there to head it into the net to tie the game in the 23rd minute. 

Following a handball in the box by the Green Wave, the Panthers were awarded a penalty kick late in the first half. Redeker took it, but Greenfield goalie Liam Grahame-Lawson sprawled out to make the save and keep Pioneer from taking the lead. 

Grahame-Lawson was called on numerous times during the second half but was able to prevent the Panthers from adding a second goal. The junior finished with 10 saves while Gavin Gammell stopped two shots in goal for the Panthers. 

Hoping to win a league title for the first time since 1980, there was a lot in Thursday’s performance that Green Wave coach  Erich Leaper was encouraged by. Now, Greenfield has to build off the season-opening performance and put forth similar efforts moving forward. 

“We have high expectations this year,” Leaper said. “I’m asking a lot. Clivens is a returning [all] Western Mass. player and while he’s in a new role where he might not score as many goals, he’s even more important to us. We’re relying on Jack [Laurie] and Caleb [Thomas] up top and I can’t ask for more from those guys. I was worried we might have a weird transition year here but the attitude of this group has been so much better and so much more together. I loved last year and the teams I’ve had but something about the way this team reacts, it’s a whole new level of them wanting to do what we’re doing. We pushed them hard, the formation is getting better.”

Pathfinder 5, Athol 2 — The Bears fell into a 4-0 deficit and couldn’t climb out en route to a season-opening loss on Thursday night at O’Brien Field in Athol.

Cooper Smith and Karim Thompson had the Athol goals, with Jack Waslaske providing an assist. Drake Wing made 10 saves in the loss. 

Hampden Charter 5, Franklin Tech 2 — Sorin Marin and Jack Gancarz found the back of the net for the Eagles, who fell to Hampden Charter in Chicopee on Thursday. 

Nate Trude and Marin provided the assists in the loss. 

Girls soccer

Frontier 9, St. Mary's 0 — Carly Robertson had herself a game for the Redhawks, scoring three goals and distributing two assists as Frontier cruised to a victory at Herlihy Park on Thursday. 

Skyler Steele put in two goals, Maddie Fagan, Josie Fosnot and Jazzy Hayes each recorded a goal and an assist, Faythe Sobieski tallied a goal while Mara Allium had an assist for the Redhawks. 

Ware 2, Mahar 0 — Isbella Cotaj scored twice for Ware while the Senators were unable to get a shot past Ware goalie Abigale McQuaid, with Mahar falling in a Pioneer North contest on Thursday. 

Jaya McBroom made five saves for the Sens. 

Field hockey

Northampton 2, Mahar 0 — The Blue Devils tallied twice in the second half to knock off the Senators in Valley League action in Northampton on Thursday. 

East Longmeadow 9, Mohawk Trail 0 — The Spartans got rolling early to pull away with a Valley League victory over the visiting Warriors on Thursday. 

Westfield 4, Turners 1 — The Bombers scored one goal in all four quarters to defeat the Thunder in Westfield on Thursday. 

Ledwin Villafana scored off an assist from Ella Larouche while Connor Glennon made eight saves for Turners. 

Golf

Franklin Tech 165, Athol 172 — Gabe Mota fired a 35 to become the match medalist while Jack Day shot a 38, helping the Eagles pick up a victory over the Bears at Ellinwood Country Club on Thursday. 

William Belval (43) and Braeden Talbot (49) also scored for Franklin Tech. Ethan Heuer had the low score for Athol with a 37 while Dom St. Andre (41), Brandon Adams (42) and Owen Stoddard (52) also scored for the Bears. 

Frontier 161, Chicopee 214 — Ryan Cetto and Cam Skiffington continue to impress for the Redhawks. Cetto carded a 37 while Skiffington shot a 39 to lift the Redhawks past the Pacers on Thursday at Cherry Hill. 

Porter Hall (40) and Jacob Cornelison (45) also scored for Frontier. 

Pioneer 162, Turners 225 — Ben Werner was the match medalist with a 36 while Brayden Thayer (39), Ethan Mauthe (42) and Cam Curtis (45) had strong days at Northfield Golf Club on Thursday in the Panthers’ triumph over the Thunder. 

Darian Burnett (48), Cam Cogswell (51), William Tyler (62) and Austin Smarr (64) scored for Turners. 

McCann Tech 177, Mohawk Trail 183 — Phineas Tuttman led the way as the match medalist with a 37 in the Warriors’ loss to the Hornets at Forrest Park Country Club Thursday. 

Douglas Wilcox shot a 48 while Logan Moore and Conner Bergeron each carded a 49 for Mohawk Trail. 

Late Wednesday results

Girls soccer

Athol 3, Renaissance 1 — Emily King scored an unassisted goal off a corner kick to get the scoring started for the Bears, which pulled away with a victory in Athol Wednesday. 

Olivia Horrigan made a penalty kick to give Athol the lead in the second half before Hannah Cardosa put the game away with a late goal for the Bears. Ava Adams made three saves in the win. 

Volleyball

Athol 3, Greenfield 1 — After splitting the first two sets, the Bears found a groove and took the third and fourth to earn a 26-24, 23-25, 25-23, 25-19 win over the Green Wave at Nichols Gymnasium Wednesday. 

Olivia Mayer tallied five aces,  Reese Nelson, Giana Vaillancourt and Ella Reed each put down four aces while Reed added seven assists for Athol. 

Mahar 3, Pioneer 0 — Madelyn Burgess put down 11 aces and dished nine assists, Mia Santana  recorded five aces and four kills while Scarleth Aranda Lebron tallied three aces, two kills and two digs in the Sens’ victory in Northfield Wednesday.